Ventura asks residents to limit water use amid Mountain Fire

The City of Ventura asked its residents to limit their water use as crews tried to extinguish the Mountain Fire Wednesday night.

The rapidly-spreading wildfire quickly burned through more than 10,400 acres after sparking near Moorpark in Ventura County. Firefighters attributed the explosion in size to the Santa Ana winds that prompted a Red Flag warning. In this particular instance, they issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" alert because of the threat posed by "an ongoing or imminent fire weather pattern."

Meteorologists tracked some gusts of wind that reached more than 60 miles per hour as the fire burned.

The strong winds grounded firefighting fixed-wing aircraft, adding another hurdle toward full containment, according to VCFD.

"The fire is burning in what we call an intermix area, which is a mixture of wildland and lots of agriculture," VCFD Captain Anthony McHale said. "There are a number of residences and ranches and smaller neighborhoods that are in the intermix area and that presents enormous challenges to the boots on the ground."

With their air support grounded, the City of Ventura asked residents to help firefighters by refraining from non-essential water use, such as watering lawns and gardens, until further notice.

"Limiting water usage during this time helps ensure that firefighters have a readily available water supply for fire suppression efforts," city leaders wrote on Facebook.

Several departments have responded to the blaze, including Cal Fire San Luis Obispo, Ventura County Fire Department, Santa Barbara Fire Department and Glendale Fire Department. Santa Clara County agencies also sent resources, including a fire engine from the San Jose Fire Department and units from County Fire and the Gilroy Fire Department.